Packing device.



i UNiTnn STATES "PATENT, orriorl.

FRANCIS r. ivrccoLL, or sr. ANnnnws,-- Nnw LB'n-UNswIcn, CANADA, AssrGNo'R fro AMERICANKEY CAN COMPANY, or cnicas-o, Iliinois, A o'onPoRA'rIo'N-or NEW JERSEY.

intiem.

and declarethe following to be a full, clear,v l and exact description of the saine,-such as will enable others skilledV in the art towhich it pertains to make and use the same, refer-V ence being had to the accompanying-drawings, which form a part of this specification.v

One of the commonest forms of receptacle for sardines and other vcommodities is the roll top canhaving one head'soldered to the can body in such a way that it may be removed by rolling it up on a key, the other head being joined to the can bodyV by a double seam. t is usual to apply lthe roll top first and to add the other head after the can has been filled. Consequently at the `time the can is being filled the head which in the completed package is the top servesl as the bottom and the first layer or quantity of goods packed in the can lies upon this' head and'is thereafter concealed from the sight ofthe packer as additional layers or quantities vof goods are introduced. The packer is therefore unable to be certain that the first layer or quantity placed in thereccptacle, and which is the top layer when the receptacle is opened, will present the neatest possible appearance because it may have been disturbed during the completing of the packing.V y

Mv invention has for one of its objects to produce a simple and novel device for packing receptacles in such a way that the last layer or quantity of goods packed by the operator, and which may therefore be arranged neatly. willV form the bottom layer in the receptacle to be filled and consequently will be the top layer when the roll top or head is removed.

Vhile mv invention is particularly adapted for filling or packing roll top cans or receptacles of the kind heretofore specified, it is not limited to this use alone because it may be advantageously employed for packing receptacles of various kinds, particularly those which are deep as compared with their widths; therefore in one of its aspects my invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel Speccatiion of-Lettersfatentfj Patlitedflebi. 15, 19146;I

lApp1ianaa1efiApril9,isis."serial1\i0. 7ieso,o7ai- Y l P. MoCoLL,

V PACKING Diivion,

device which will make the packing of goods` in layersjin' receptacles of various `.kinds simple and'easy. 4 Y y The various features ofrnovelty whereby my inventionv is characterized will herein-v after be pointed out with particularity in the claim;` but, for a full understanding of. myl inventionand of its-'objects Vand advantages, reference may be had tothe follow-V in g detailed description taken in,` connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure -1 isa top plan of an embodiment.v

of my invention designed for packing rectangullar cans such as sardine cans; Fig. Qis an end view of the device shown infF-igrl; Fig. 3 Ais a section yon-fline 3 3 of Fig; 1; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. A3 illustrating the first step `in the-transfer of thegoods from the packing `device jtoV thev final 'container; 'Figi 5 isaview similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the second. step in transferring the goods to the container.

.Referring toV Figs. ,1 to "5 of the drawing, l representsanl open-ended tubular member conforming in shape to the cross section of` a. receptacle to be-filled andhaving a depth' preferablyr greater than the depth of the Y ofthe receptacle to be filled is immaterial* since the member lmay be given any shape Y required to adaptit to any particular can or other receptacle'. 4 The member l is prefer-A ably made of thin material such as tin or other 'suitable' sheet metal andl within the same is a Vmovable"transverse Vpartition or bottom', 2, shapedto'conform to the interiori o'fthe member l and slidable up andV down` therein. j In the particular arrangement shown, the height' of the member l' is' made approximately equal to the depth of a can to be filled plus `thethickness of the movable bottom, so that when the movable bottom is at the lower end of the member there is above it a chamber having substantially the same size and shape as the interior of the can to be filled. j j

With the parts in the positions indicated in Fig. 2 the chamber within the .member 1V and lying above the movable/bottom maybe v packed with the fish or other vcommodity justas the cans themselves are `Ordinarily lio f packer as indicated at 3 in Fig. 4, the uppermcst layers of goodsin the ,packer being in contact with the bottom of the can. VThe l can. and the packing devices are then turned upside down as a single unit so that the can is on the under side as indicated'fin F ig. 5.

With the parts in this position, the packing device may be removed from the can, leaving thel goods in the can in lan undisturbed condition. This maybe accomplished by grasping the projecting portion of the tubularniember and lifting -it While the movable bottom is held down With ,one or .moreV of the fingers of the hand in which the tubu lar member is held. larmember to riseup out of the/can, leaving the can filledwith thev goods previously contained in the packing device, .as indicated in F ig. 5. VYThe -movable bottom is now at the opposite end of the tubular member from that at Which .it was located before the transfer of the packed goods to the can. was made and above it isl achamber ready.

to'be filled; so that it is unnecessary to reverse the packing device after it is removed from the can in order to place it in: condi,- tion to receive a new charge.

It will be seenthat the layer of goods Which Was the top` layerin the packing device, is, after the transfer, the bottom layer in the can.V Consequently WhereV the can is ofthe roll top` type of which the rolliy top is. the bottom head `at the time the can is being filled and the top headatV the time. the can is opened, the can when opened after having been packed in the manner described, has on toprthe layer last to be packed and which it Was possible to arrange carefully; and therefore When the can is opened the contents-Will presenta neat and attractive appearance.V

If desired, the movablebottom maybe suitably interlocked--With the tubular .member so as toy prevent;v accidental separation between. the same. One Way in `Which this may be accomplished is to provide the movable bottom vvith `a projecting vpin 4or pins, 4, at one orboth ends, the pin or each of Copies of: this4 patent niay be obtained for This causes the tubu*` the pins, Where tliere'is more than one, extending into a ysuitable slot, 5, `cut into orA through the Wall. of the tubular member.A Inthe arrangement shown, there are two of these slots and each is made justlong 5 enough to limit the movement of the -bottom` member in one direction or the other, When' Vthe* bottom member has gone' far enough` to lform with theotubular inembera chamber of substantially theisame depth as 6 the canto be filled.; In this arrangement',` therefore, the interlocking of `the tvvo members of the packing device trgetherser-ves both to prevent accidental disengagement and also automatically to form in the pack 6 ing device a rmeasured chamber at one end or the other, depending uponthe end ofthetubular` memberfin AWhich. the bottom happens to-ivbe. Y y Y lVhil'e `I have illustrated land described only a singleembodiment of-my invention, Iv do notk desire to belimited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and de-l scribed; but intend'to vcover all forms and arrangements which fall `Within the terms 7 employed :in the definitions of my rinvention constituting the appended claim.

I claim:

A packingdevice for sardine cans comprising a container openat both ,ends and S conforming in.` cross section to the shape ofi a sardinefcan, a transverse partition or'bottom mounted in said container so as to be` movable lengthvvisethereof, and interhick.- ing means between the container and the y8 partition or bottom constructed and arranged to permit the partition or `bottom to be Vmoved from4 one end lofthe container toward the-other and be held against sepa-1` ration from the container, and the depth or 9 length -of the container being equal tothe depth of the can to be filled* plus the thick-v ness of said bottom or partition.

Inl testimony whereof, I sign this speci-f cationin the presence;l of tivo Witnesses.

FRANCIS P. MCCOLL.

Witnesses:

WV. F. LYNCH, M. A.` HETHERINGTON.y

Washington, D. CJ 

